Happy Monday, East Bay. Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1) As the epic state budget battle royale marches on, Republicans are now set to block six key labor contracts currently working their way through the legislative process. The contracts — which cover some 60,000 state workers and represent a compromise on both sides, including furloughs, increased pension payments, and lower benefits — need support from both parties if they’re to pass in the Senate and the Assembly. But according to the SacBee, state Republicans are now saying there’ll be little to no support for the contracts among the party, because the savings won’t be large enough.
